Key chain holder



March 3, 1959 J.VH. HOCHMAN 2,875,605 KEY CHAIN HOLDER Original Filed May 1, 1953 Any United States Patent Continuation M y/ application April 22, 1957, Serial No.

renting. (or. 70-457 7 This invention relates to'a key holder, and more particularly to such a holder from which a ehain, loop or 'ring with a bunch of keys thereon may be quickly disconnected or detached from the holder for use.

Keys are frequently carried attached to a chain or ring or loop which is in turn attached to, some type of holder. It is sometimes necessary to detach one or more ofthese keys for separate use and in such case the only alternatives are to detach the keys separately or to place them on a separate holder. This requires unnecessary duplication and bulk. Furthermore, wherea large number of keys are attached to the holder it is frequently too bulky to handle all the keys together with the holder as a unit and some provision for readily removing one or more of the keys is desirable.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for holding key chains, loops or rings with such chains, loops or rings being readily and quickly detachable from the holder and readily inserted thereon.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a novel type of key holder having a provision for a readily detachable key holding member such as a chain, loop or ring, attached at one point thereon and another key holding member attached thereto which is not readily detachable.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a holder of this type which is simple, inexpensive, compact and convenient.

Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent with the description to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a key holder showing a pair of key chains each attached at opposite ends;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the key holder of Fig. 1 showing the quick detachable construction;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of a key holder showing an alternative form of the construction permitting quick detachment;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of still another alternative form of one end of the key holder showing the quick detachable construction.

Referring to the drawings, the key holder shown in Fig. 1 consists of a relatively flat member which forms the body of the holder. This body is made of a flexible, resilient material such as a flexible, resilient plastic of the type referred to as polyethylene cellulose acetate, polyvinyl chloride, or the like or of other material having this property such as copper, aluminum, steel, etc., sufliciently thin to permit flexing. In general, plastic materials such as polyethylene are preferred.

At one end of the holder a pair of slits 11 and 11a are formed extending from opposite edges. These slits are formed from enlarged grooves or notches 12 and 12a which are formed at the edges and which permit more ready entry of the key chain to be referred to hereafter. Each slit 11 and 11a terminates in an enlarged opening 13 or 13a through which the key chain 14 is 2,875,605 Patented Mar. 3, 1959 passed. This key chain is mas endless tyjme r fastening "member "15 wh'ic'h maybe opened in the kn a manner to permit attachment of. the keys a :thechain. At "the opposite end of body member 10 is formed a 91c 17 through which a key chain 16 is passed, This; key chain is fastenedat the end ana ma e endless by fastening member 18. In preferred for-[no tion as illustrated in Figs. ,1 and 2, the eh slits extend inwardl y from opposite edges a, linear alignment. The resilient member is of rectangular configuration withthe slits fo 2 ia b f tl re f.ai b tal lh i i r sul that the key holding chain member Iem a e portion of the resilient member between the end por'tions of .the slits and will at the same. time extnd outwardly of the end .of the member asufficient distance js o tha t the keys. will hang freely 'without engaging the end of the member. TheslitS are preferably formed ,withbut removal of material by cutting "or the like,; o that the adjacent walls thereof are in contact with. each other or at least very nearlyso. u The manner in which the detachable feature of t he form of the invention illu'st'rated i n Figs, 1 and [2 oper- This is illustrated particularly with ates, is as follows. reference toFig. 2. I H v When it is desired to remove the key chain 14 with key at s thereon a t r t ah l s .thak chainis pulled downward :througheither slot, fqr exarnplc as at 11d. This id i storts tbe walls of the slot becauseof the resilient, fl xibl nature of the material, the walls moving downwardly and outwardly to permit passage of the key chain. This releases the chain at that side. The same action is carried out on the other side removing the chain through slot 11. When the chain is reinserted in the holder, the same action is carried out in reverse, the chain first engaging the notched portion and then being forced through the corresponding slot, passage thereof being permitted by the distortion and displace ment of the walls of the slot due to the flexible and resilient nature of thematerial. It may be noted that the chain tends to be retained in position by the spacings of the openings 13 and 13a since the plane of the slots is normal to the longitudinal axis of the holder and the normal direction of pull.

An alternative form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3 in which a single slit 19 is formed at one end of the body member 10a which is constructed of the same material as body member 10. This slit terminates in enlarged opening 20. From this opening extends a pair of slits 21 and 22 in opposite direction of said opening. Each of these slits terminate in enlarged openings 23 and 24. The key chain or similar key holding member is passed through openings 23 and 24. When it is desired to remove the chain, it is pulled through slits 21 and 22 and then through slit 19 by forcing the walls of the slit apart through distortion of the flexible and resilient material of which the body member is constructed. In view of the fact that the chain member is retained by openings 23 and 24, the only entry to which is through 21 and 22 which are at an angle to entry slit 19, accidental detachment of the chain is minimized.

Another form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4 which shows a pair of slits 25 and 26 formed at one edge of the body member 10b. This body member is formed of flexible and resilient material as described in connection with body member 10. Each of these slits terminates in enlarged openings 27 and 28 and each slit is formed at a divergent angle to the other. It may be noted that each slit enters its enlarged opening at a point about the bottom of the opening taken with reference to the end of the holder at which this slit is formed. For this reason, any pull of the key chain in a direction longitudinal to the holder will permit the chain to be retained within the opening and minimize accidental detachment by pulling through the slits.

While reference has been made to the use of the key chain above, it is understood that any holding member in the form of a loop or ring or other similar member made endless by fastening means or otherwise, may be used in place thereof.

i The slits and openings referred to in the body member may be formed by incisions, cutting, molding, or in any manner known to one skilled in the art.

1 This application is a continuation of my copending application Serial No. 352,331, filed May 1, 1953, now abandoned. g

' 'Having thus described and illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

' 11A key holder comprising a relatively flat body member of resilient, flexible material, a pair of spaced enlarged notches each formed in an edge portion of said member, a pair of spaced enlarged openings formed within said body member, a pair of relatively narrow slits formed through said member each starting from one of said notches and terminating in one of said openings, and an endless flexible key retaining member extending through both of said openings through engagement with said notches and passage through said slits, said flexible key retaining'member enveloping the area between said enlarged openings and being retained therebys 2. A key holder according to claim 1 wherein the notches are formed in opposite edge portions of said body member and wherein said notches, slits and enlarged openings are in linear alignment.

3. A key holder comprising a relatively flat body member of resilient, flexible material, a pair of slits each formed substantially transversely through said body member and extending inwardly from an edge thereof, each of said slits being formed in substantially the same plane and extending inwardly from enlarged notches formed in opposite edges of said body member, each of said slits terminating in an enlarged opening formed in said body member, said openings being spaced from one another, an endless flexible key retaining member extending through both of said enlarged openings and detachable from said body member between said slits by distortion thereof, said key retaining member encircling the portion of the body member between said openings and being retained against detachment from the body member by the portion of said body member between said openings and between said openings and an edge of the 7 body member when in use as a key holder means.

4. A key holder according to claim 3 wherein the body member is formed of polyethylene and wherein said key retaining member is a flexible chain.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,702 Birch Apr. 20, 1880 1,286,273 Gariss Dec. 3, 1918 2,312,204 Weindel Feb. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 190,981 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1937 486,846 Great Britain June 10, 1938 

